858 MK. r. G. PAKSONS ON THE [NoV, 29, 



2. On the Anatomy of the African Jumping-Hare [Pedetes 

 caffer) compared with that of the Dipodidae. By 

 F. G. Parsons, F.R.C.S., F.Z.S., F.L.S., Hunteriau 

 Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons and Lecturer 

 on Comparative Anatomy at St. Thomas's Hospital. 

 [Received October 14, 1898.] 



The opportunity of dissecting a somewhat rare Mammal, the 

 African Jumping-Hare (Pedetes caffer), was kindly given me by 

 Mr. Oldfield Thomas, of the British Museum. Fortunately the 

 adult specimen was a female, and its uterus contained an embryo 

 which must very nearly have reached its time of birth. Mr. 

 Beddard, the Prosector of this Society, has also kindly placed 

 at my disposal two Jerboas (Dipus jacuJus and D. Mrtipes) for 

 comparison. 



At the end of the paper will be found a short summary of its 

 chief points of iaterest. 



Extermd Anatomy. 



The total length from the snout to the root of the tail is 

 17 inches, the tail measuring another 18 inches. 



The nose is covered by very short fine hair except round the 

 nostrils, where the skin is bare. The upper lip is very long ; there 

 is an interval of one iuch between the lower part of the nose and 

 the mouth ; there is no cleft in the median line, and the space 

 between the nose and the mouth is covered by thick short fur. 



The aperture of the mouth is crescentic, the upper lip being 

 curved to expose the incisor teeth, which are white and perfectly' 

 smooth. The pointed ears are 3^ inches long, and from the 

 ventral side of the meatus the tragus projects as a conical process 

 3 of an iuch high. The fore limbs are set very far forward, indeed 

 there are only 2 inches between the point of the shoulder and 

 the posterior canthus of the eye ; they are very short, the upper 

 arm being especially diminished. The manus has five well-marked 

 digits provided with lateral!}- compressed, pointed, slightly curved 

 claws ; the most radial of these, the pollex, is the shortest. In the 

 palm of the hand are two processes : the more radial of these is 

 hemispherical and is situated opposite the base of the outer two 

 digits, its radial side is flattened and is covered with much harder 

 epidermis than the rest, giving an appearance very like that of a 

 small human thumb-nail. On the ulnar side of this is a smaller 

 elevation which is compressed laterally and, unlike the other, 

 covered with hair ; it is also much the softer and more freely 

 movable of the two. 



There are two pairs of nipples ; the more anterior are situated 

 jnst behind the axilla, 2 inches from the middle line, while the 

 more posterior are 1| inches behind these and a little nearer the 

 raid-line. There are no inguinal or abdominal nipples. 



The hind limbs are very long and the knee and hip-joints are 



